INFLUENCER TYPE AND CONSUMER PURCHASE INTENTION: EXAMINING THE MEDIATING ROLES OF SOURCE CREDIBILITY, CONTENT VALUE, AND SOCIAL INFLUENCE IN THE PAKISTANI BEAUTY INDUSTRY

Abstract

With the growth of social media, the influencer marketing is becoming a crucial component of digital marketing. But few studies have investigated the impact of the influencers’ types on purchase intentions of consumers in emerging markets. The current study explores the influence of macro and micro influencers on purchase intent and identifies their mediating roles in the beauty industry in Pakistan. A conceptual framework was developed and tested based on three theories: Source Credibility Theory, Advertising Value Theory and Social Influence Theory and was tested with survey data from 224 Pakistani social media users.

The results revealed that source credibility and content value and social influence have significant effect on purchase intention, with social influence being the most effective on purchase intention. The results also indicate that these mediators are influenced by the type of the influencers, which then influence purchase intention. This study is a significant add-on to the body of influencer marketing literature by combining several theoretical frameworks and presenting a body of empirical data in an emerging market context that has not been studied extensively. The results indicate that the impact of the influencers is not necessarily related to the count of followers but to the perception of the consumer in terms of credibility, value of the content and social influence. The results of the study have some important insinuations for marketers, brands, and digital agencies looking to create better influencer marketing strategies.